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November 14, 2016

Dear Ken: I have a refrigerator in my garage. In the summer it does OK, but usually not in the winter. I can’t keep it cold enough. What can I do to have it run more normally? Bill

The cold air starts in the freezer compartment and then runs down into the fresh food side. And that’s where the thermostat is that tells the compressor to come on to start the cooling process in the first place. Your cold garage environment doesn’t allow the fresh food area to warm up enough to kick it on; so it helps to add a little heat. Buy a clamp-on trouble light-- the kind with the big aluminum reflector shade. Remove the shade, which leaves the clamp and bulb socket. Clamp it to one of the shelves in the fresh food compartment and thread the cord though the hinge side of the door.

In my fridge, I use a 13 watt CFL (compact fluorescent) bulb--equivalent to a regular 60 watt incandescent—and leave it burning 24/7. That provides just enough warmth to “fool” the thermostat into starting up the compressor once in a while. You’ll find that your frozen food will stay just right.

What about damage to that cord? The magnetic gasket around the inside edge of the door is soft and pliable enough to prevent any significant pinching of it as it passes through the gap. Even so, make sure that this heat light is plugged into a GFI (ground fault) outlet; it will be safer that way.

Dear Ken: I want to install my own water heater. I’ve got a helper and I think the two of us should be just fine. But do I have to pull a permit in my own house? Daniel

Yes you do. In most areas the building codes are quite liberal when a homeowner wants to work on their home’s plumbing, electrical or heating systems. But the work has to be done safely and in accordance with national codes and local rules. Water heater installation includes gas piping connections, flue pipe issues, proper water piping and adequate combustion air—all of which carry significant risk to your family if done wrong. So yes, pull a permit and call for a building department inspection when you are done.

One other negative aspect to doing work on your own without permits is the home inspection process when you sell. Most inspectors check the permit listings before they come to the house, and it will be easy to spot an unpermitted water heater. That throws a big monkey wrench into the transaction, and it could make a nervous buyer withdraw.

Dear Ken: Our furnace makes a popping sound every time it shuts off. What could cause this? Laurie

It's fairly common for the sheet metal ducting in a hot air heating system to creak and pop at either start-up or shutdown--or both. When metal warms up, it expands, and when it cools, there is an opposite reaction. That movement puts strain on the joints that hold the various sections of ducting together, and, since they expand and contract at different rates, they make noise. Also, if the system touches wood framing members--like joists--and isn't properly secured with straps, that metal-on-wood rubbing action will manifest itself with other similar sounds. Sometimes these reactions can be minimized with some additional sheet metal screws run into critical joints between metal sections. Distortion can also be an ally. Tapping the sheet metal with a hammer to make surface dents in just the right spots can quiet things down.

Your heating contractor who checks the system each fall can do this work, and they can also listen for the noises you mention to see if there are other, more serious problems. Have them check the system as soon as possible.

Dear Ken: I have interior brick walls in my townhouse. They are moldy and nothing I do will keep the mold from coming back. What do you think is causing this? Nathan

Mold and mildew rely on ambient moisture for their existence and growth. Make sure the humidity in your townhouse is no more than about 45%. You may need to turn down your humidifier, install a ceiling fan or just open windows to get the air drier. Also, moisture may be traveling through the brick and condensing on its backside against the cooler wall. Brick acts a little like a sponge--moisture will transpire through it in either direction. So, you could apply a vapor barrier of sorts by applying a clear, acrylic water sealer on the room side surface of the brick.